The NFL's transaction wire revealed Monday that the Colts activated running back Ahmad Bradshaw from the active/physically unable to perform list. Bradshaw still was in a walking boot as recently as June, after undergoing what was the latest in a long-running series of foot surgeries back in January.

Bradshaw began participating in Colts walkthroughs one week ago. He has made it clear that he doesn't need preseason action to be ready for Week 1, so we can expect the Colts to play it cautiously the rest of the month.

While Bradshaw's foot woes have become chronic, the good news is that he has remained effective while playing through pain. When fully healthy, Bradshaw has proven capable of carrying a ground attack, as he did in racking up 316 yards on 57 carries in back-to-back New York Giants wins over the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers last season.

Splitting time with Vick Ballard and perhaps even Brown, Bradshaw will have a tough time reprising that heavy workload in Indianapolis. He's still the favorite to lead this committee attack once it's clear that he has returned to football shape.

UPDATE: The NFL forced the Colts to activate Bradshaw from the PUP list after he took handoffs during an Aug. 4 practice, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of the situation. After investigating Bradshaw's participation, the league deemed it a violation of PUP rules.